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WATER SUPPLY - As downpours soak Northern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered state officials to capture and store more stormwater in San Joaquin Valley reservoirs for farmers and towns, and to “remove or minimize” any obstacles that stand in the way.
If that sounds familiar, it is: The governor issued similar orders two years ago, when he waived environmental laws to store more water as storms drenched the state and caused disastrous flooding. Months later, the Legislature and Newsom enacted a new law that smooths the way for such actions.
In a video posted on social media, Newsom said he aims to store more stormwater “for people and agriculture.” The three-year, statewide drought“yielded ongoing, significant impacts” on farm communities, he wrote in his order.
Growers and cities that use water from the State Water Project welcomed Newsom’s action.
But environmental groups worry that it will kill salmon and other fish spiraling toward extinction. By diverting and storing more water, less is left in Delta rivers for fish.
Environmentalists also noted the similarity between Newsom’s order and President Donald Trump’s order last week to waive the Endangered Species Act and pump more water out of the Delta. The Army Corps of Engineers then abruptly increased outflow from two small San Joaquin Valley reservoirs.
Trump posted on social media that the water would have prevented the Los Angeles wildfires — but that water does not reach Southern California. It also will do little to help farmers, since they need irrigation water for crops in spring and summer, not now.
- Jon Rosenfield, science director at San Francisco Baykeeper: “Trump issued an executive order that is nothing short of an assault on California’s environment, and it’s like Newsom said, ‘Hold my beer.’”
Speaking of Trump: On Saturday Trump issued an order imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China. The tariffs are meant to hold the countries “accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration” and stopping fentanyl and other drugs “from flowing into our country,” according to the order.
As CalMatters reported in November, Mexico and China made up 40% of California’s imports in 2023 and the state could feel the brunt of the tariffs. Nationally, prices are projected to rise by nearly 1 percentage point, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Because Canada is also a key supplier of lumber for the U.S., Trump’s order also has major implications for Southern California as it rebuilds from the deadly wildfires.
In addition to customers and small businesses feeling a hit, leaders from Canada and Mexico said they will impose retaliatory tariffs on American goods. California’s top exports include almonds, wine and dairy products.
(Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, producing and curating WhatMatters, the outlet’s flagship daily newsletter with over 150,000 subscribers. She analyzes California’s political and policy issues through original reporting and summaries of major stories. Her recent coverage includes legislation on fentanyl, retail theft, and happiness, as well as interviews with lawmakers. She also contributes to CalMatters’ election coverage, tracking key campaigns and ballot measures. Before joining CalMatters in 2023, she worked at Guild, CNET, The Sacramento Bee, and Capitol Weekly. Based in the Bay Area, she holds degrees from UC Davis and Columbia Journalism School. This article was first published in CalMatters.)
